Pope Francis began his visit to the USA on Tuesday and plans visits to Washington, D.C., New York City and Philadelphia. Whether you want to catch a glimpse of the Roman Catholic Church's leader or avoid the traffic, follow his six-day schedule below.

11:30 a.m. — The pope leads a prayer at St. Matthew's Cathedral with U.S. bishops.

4:15 p.m. — Pope Francis holds a canonization Mass for Junipero Serra, an 18th Spanish Franciscan missionary who established schools for American Indians along the California coast. The first-ever canonization Mass on U.S. soil was held at the nation's largest Catholic church, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

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Pope Francis canonized Junipero Serra, an 18th-century missionary who brought Catholicism to California, during a Mass outside the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, the first canonization on U.S. soil. (Sept
AP

11 a.m. — He makes a stop on the Capitol's West Front, which overlooks the National Mall.

Pope Francis arrives with House and Senate leadership and local clergy, on the balcony of the Speaker of the House after he delivered an address to a joint session of Congress.(Photo11: Pool)

11:15 a.m. — St. Patrick's Catholic Church and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese host Pope Francis. Only 60 parishioners culled from a lottery of church volunteers and about 250 clients and volunteers from Catholic Charities will be allowed in during the visit. Catholic Charities St. Maria's Meals, which offers three weekly food programs in the Washington area, set up 55 tables for the poor and homeless to have lunch as the pope blesses the food and walks through.

Pope Francis greets the public during a visit to Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington Thursday.(Photo11: DAVID GOLDMAN, AFP/Getty Images)

6 p.m. — Mass is held in Madison Square Garden. The chair he will sit on was built by mostly immigrant day laborers. Young men at Lincoln Hall Boys Haven in Lincolndale built the altar.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan unveils the chair Pope Francis will use during Mass at Madison Square Garden during his visit to New York City. The chair was constructed in a Port Chester garage by immigrant day laborers and will be used by the pope Sept. 26.(Photo11: Spencer Platt, Getty Images)

Saturday, Sept. 26

8:40 a.m. — Pope Francis departs New York for Philadelphia through John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Philadelphia

9:30 a.m. — Arrives at Atlantic Aviation.

10:30 a.m. — Mass is held at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul.

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A group of cloistered nuns have been working overtime in the kitchen to help prepare for Pope Francis' visit. Religious sisters at the suburban Monastery of St. Clare recently made 100,000 communion wafers for the pontiff's Mass in Philadelphia.
AP

4:45 p.m. — The pope visits Independence Mall — the birthplace of American democracy. This historic area of Philadelphia is home to the Liberty Bell, and Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were signed.

Independence Hall is where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were signed.(Photo11: John Sterling Ruth for Visit Philadelphia)

7:30 p.m. — Pope Francis stops by the Festival of Families on Benjamin Franklin Parkway and holds a prayer vigil with the World Meeting of Families — the largest meeting of Catholic families held every three years. Singer Arethra Franklin will perform for the Pope as well as Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, Colombian singer/songwriter Juanes, the Philadelphia Orchestra, The Fray, comedian Jim Gaffigan and Mark Wahlberg — who will host the event.

Sunday, Sept. 27

9:15 a.m. — He holds a papal meeting with bishops at St. Martin's Chapel of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, right outside Philadelphia.

Rameen Perrin, left, and Evan Davis work on a chair designed for Pope Francis to use during his visit to a prison in Philadelphia. Perrin and Davis are inmates learning carpentry.(Photo11: Michael Perez, AP)